Why did the chicken cross the road?
by Pothepamda11
Summary: I dunno. Why did the chicken cross the road? Well to be honest I'm not even telling a joke. But let me tell you this, the chicken is the girl and the road is the plot. It's a metaphor. But let me ask you something. Are chickens meant to cross roads? Well fate certainly liked asking herself that question when she added in a fake soul into the plot of avatar the last air bender.
1. Chapter 1

I was walking through Ba sing se (永固城,the impenetrable city)when holding a letter in my hand. No one was going to stop me from admitting to into an upper ring (上環) school. Not now that they've accepted me. Not now that I had the chance to become a high class citizen. With education and good standards. A good resume and posh mansions. A place where I could look after my family sleep safely and without the fear that others who are lurking around for food in our neighbourhood just to steal from those who have not spare but needed and shortened food. I don't think I blame them though. I have stolen from shops and houses many a night and many a day. That's right, I was from the lower ring (下環) of society in Ba sing se. We weren't too bad off though. I have seen many far worse off than ourselves . I have seen dead children lying on streets for weeks. No one collects corpses around here. No one except the bugs that eat out their flesh and soul and their poor liberal rights that they never got to experience. I often just passed the beggars and the starving. I didn't have money or food to spare, and I'm pretty sure that the Dai Li (戴笠) wrote a rule that strictly prohibited the helping of beggars as they could be liars or drunks. I didn't like that rule. I didn't like it one bit. I doubted that they were liars since most everyone in this area is starving and unemployed. I didn't mind helping drunks either, I thought that drinking was a horrifying sport and would help them to quit at least.

Yep this was home. A shattered dream for refugees that came to be sheltered from the hundred year war. I believe that its only a legend though. I have never seen benders or ships and soldiers attacking the walls that surrounded us. I hated it when they talked about it too, saying that benders are of too important rank to be in the Lower Ring. I hated the thought. Everyone else seemed to love it though and they all seemed to love it and talk about it in the grocery shop that my mum and me worked and lived in along with my five brothers. I loved them all dearly and cared like they were my own five sons. Remembering the times in which we all fought side by side because of cherishment and loyalty.

But these were the moments that I do not have the time to remember and I have not got the time to prioritize my dreams or my innocence. I do whatever it takes for me and my family to survive in the walls of ba sing se, with those Dai Li agents and the Joo dee's and the Terra team. But the worst are the Dai Li. Personally I've never seen them but when people tell you to beware here they tell only of the Dai Li. They guard the gates to which we can pass between walls of Ba Sing Se. The ones that stop the poor from coming into the world of the rich and the rich from coming into the world of the poor. People do it anyway. Through sewage or tiny holes in the walls that are hidden by either bushes or houses. Of course, I only heard rumours since I live near another wall. The wall that separates Ba sing se from the rest of the world, not from the rest or the authority ranks in Ba sing se.

I didn't often leave the shop. Yet today was a special day to leave it. Today I got permission to leave the ranks of the poor to go into the Upper ring and choose a good public school that I could go to. I needed the education to at least become a nurse. I needed the money to save my family from poverty and ruin. I needed that money to at least get into the middle ring ( 中環) where the people were decent and food was to spare. I walked over with that neat piece of paper and that application note in my grubby hands, clinging onto it like it was the heart of a lover that has left me for at least eternity. I had a spring in my step and excitement in my voice. I opened the door to our busy yet sad and empty grocery shop. No one had the money to buy food anymore. We grew it ourselves so sometimes we try to sell what grows so that we get at least a little profit out of the little that we had. " Bai Zin! (白金)" I heard my mother shout. That's right, my name was Bai Zin. It was a strange name for a poor brunette street urchin for a girl. A Skinny girl that didn't really bother to wash or shave. Not that I had to though, I was capable of staying clean. Well... Cleaner than some people in the ring anyway. A brunette with long tangles that were clinging from her head with her fringe hiding her green eyes and giving her nothing more than bad eyesight.

"Where were you? You need to be here in the morning to help me unpack the vegetables! Because of your carelessness Yun ( 鋆) Had to help me, And you know just how weak your brothers are!" My mother was right about my brothers being weak. They were fast and witty but when it came to strength they really needed my help. Mostly because I was stronger than most in the Ring. "I'm sorry mum. Next time I'll do it before you wake up because next time I won't be in the Lower ring!" I flashed the paper in her face and let her read the major contents of it . She scanned and the slammed the not so filthy sheet on the counter "I can't read remember!"She stated. So I picked it up form the dust covered surface and read every content of it, making my mother and the few customers in the shop feel either stupid or confused "I understood nothing of what that meant now stop with the fancy words and say what the Joo Dee want with you!"

"I'm going to school mum! An upper ring school too! One that we won't have to pay for! I'll be an honour student there and once I finish school I'll be able to get a proper job and get us a house in the middle ring!" She wasn't listenening though. She has long since given up wondering about moving into the middle ring. Instead she has only cared about survival. I had long since missed her trying to move into the middle ring. All those fancies that she would have told me late at night about moving there. Her fancies were the reason behind her getting the grocery shop in the first place. I didn't give up though. I did it all for her dreams, the dreams that she has given to me before any of my brothers were born and long before my father has died. But after his death it seemed that none of it mattered to her anymore and she just became grouchy and prejudiced and simple. The opposite of what I remember her being.

Before We both knew it a chubby old man came into our presence. With an aura made of warmth and a feeling like fire yet a symptom of kindness followed him "Hey Mushi!" I greeted him gleefully. He was a regular visitor here. He always came for herbs to our store. Herbs for tea that he made in a tea shop nearby. "Well hello there young Bai Zin! I hope that you're listening to your mother, she's an overworked women and you need to give her the respect that she needs" He greeted me with a sarcastic comment. I giggled at it and answered him "Sure thing Mushi! Would you like the usual?". I had a large smile on my face. Mushi had that kind of affect on people, he made them smile and laugh. His usual was a number of significant herbs for a tea shop that he worked for. He often talked about a nephew of his. I bet I knew everything about his nephew because of how much he talked about him. They both worked at the tea shop that Mushi kept buying herbs for.

Soon enough was the end of my shift and I legged it towards the streets. Running in the dust and letting it fly towards the sky as I passed it. I dodged all the obstacles before me by jumping or by turning my body to fit between them. This was my favourite part of the day. Arm wrestling matches. They were held in random alleyways and other dark places that no good citizen would dare go into. I went there casually like any other thug or punk. I didn't look like them so I proudly stood out. As I walked through them all with a proud face They all moved out of my way. They weren't that bad. Here I felt more like family as much as I did at home. I guess its because we all went through the same thing here and we all treated each other with respect. "Yo, Bulky!" I shouted. Bulky was a bulky, bold man with a large scar across his back and a dragon tattoo going through the middle of his head like a bum crack. I saw him turn to me. It wasn't hard to spot him since he was the tallest man there. He looked at me as if he was some kind of thug. I knew he was joking though. Bulky just had to be the softest guy In the earth Kingdom. He always helped me out when I was in a difficult situation and in return I helped him to learn how to read or read him some of the harder books that I stole from the library (They charge in the lower ring). We were like brother and sister to each other. "What?" He said with a thug voice

"I'm going to school!" I said with a huge smile on my face. I could just about see tears in his eyes when he heard me. That lonesome smile crept up his face and I could see that he was about to cry for joy. He picked me up by my armpits and held me in the air like I was some toddler that he was going to spin. He did spin me "Bai Zin, that's great! You can finally get a good education and the cool job that you always wanted!" Then he hugged me... " Oh you're growing up so fast! I remember when I first met you! How old where you?! Five?!" Then he put me on the ground and cried. "I just can't believe that you got in so fast, I'm truly happy for you!" He sobbed. How on earth did he get a dragon tattoo on his head? I get the bulkiness, but a guy like him to get a tattoo? The people around us started to stare and the others where starting to bet. "Um... Bulky... I need to go..." He let me go and I ran off onto the table. I bet too. Against the opponent of course, I couldn't bet against myself. I was there and in front of me I did not see the usual competitions. This time it was a boy about my age with black hair, fiery eyes and a huge burn on his face. I could see that he was quite muscular but I didn't flinch, they were always muscular. "Hey! Lad! You don't know who you're dealing with! That's our champion there! Don't be fooled by her cuteness! She's as vile as a Dai Li!" We both heard the man cry as the rest of the crowd went silence. I could see determination on his face. The referee came up and shouted as we grabbed each others hands. "THREE! TWO! ONE! BEGIN"

That was how we started off. I decided to give the newcomer the same greeting that I gave the past newcomers. He was quite strong though. He was near enough to beating me. I hated theis. I struggled. He struggled. He was almost sweating as he almost pinned me when..."Pinned ya!" I sang as he couldn't believe his eyes. I have pinned him. I was famous for this though so the watchers and the bidders where expecting this. He wasn't though, and all I could do was watch him to the first time loser frustrate. I was expecting this though. It was no embarrassment though, There was no shame in losing to me.


	2. an accidental journey to the spirit worl

Chapter 2

Bulky walked me home. He always walked me home when the sun turned from gold to bronze and and the blue sky turn into a reflection of the same bronze that was formed. Only the clouds didn't follow that rule for instead of becoming orange they turned a light girly pink instead. I couldn't really judge those colours for what they are though. They weren't as noticeable to me at that time of day since I was blinded by the flying dust of the streets and the emptiness of silence. How good it is to choose the thug life. You walked wherever you wanted to and did whatever you wanted. You were streetwise and knew almost every trick in the book. You were feared by people all around you even if they didn't know you. I love feeling that freedom whilst the air touches my lungs on the inside. We weren't actually as bad as people thought. Most of the thugs I knew were like Bulky and I. Struggling for survival and striving for success.

"Bulky, do you think we'll ever move into the middle ring?"I asked him as we walked through the dust covered air during the empty sunset in the deserted streets. The thugs come out at this time of day so everyone hid. The thugs, as in them. He didn't really reply though. He only shrugged.

"well when I l live there I'm going to marry you so you can live there too," I stated and looked closely at his features now. He was blushing greatly at what I have said. He was older than me and I only thought of him as a friend but I could never live to loose him. This was the only way I could think of to spend some time away from poverty though. He already lived on the streets and didn't end up too well on the job side of things. "But I can't read," He said. What a pathetic excuse. I could just punch him for that. He didn't want to marry me because he couldn't read? I kept quiet and held my tongue. There were no words needed for this kind of situation. It was awkward and I wanted to scream.

Maybe the odds wanted to end the silence because before we knew it we saw a foreign looking girl dressed in blue putting up a poster on the wall at the edge of one of the shops. I felt like bothering her since I had nothing else to let my anger out on I felt like letting it out on her. I was a so-called-thug anyway so it wouldn't do any harm but after all that all that could escape my mouth was

"People from around here can't read, love. You should find someplace else," I couldn't be mean. I may have a reputation but I sure as heck can't do that to a girl as pretty as her. She had light blue eyes that contrasted against her Slav skin. Her hair was in a long, single plat with weird hair loopies hanging from the front of her face. Her features were one of an Eskimo which didn't really suit her skin carnation or her eyes but she looked pretty no one the less. She was wearing around her a brown bag with water in. I couldn't take my eyes off that bag since I walked around quenched lately and had no water to drink this present day. She only turned to smile at me and talk "Well, if anyone does know how to read I really need them to see this." She said that with a sweet, seductive voice of hers. I could just feel Bulky falling for her as the side of me became hot and shaky. I could feel his heartbeat and sense his sweat. But I couldn't argue with the both of them at this time of day. And not with bulky. He may be a sissy but he knows how to fight. He knows how to punch and wrestle and was so much taller than me. I may be the strongest person alive but there was no way I could beat him in a proper fight. She didn't have the instinct of an animal that he had. Although at that moment in time it could be braking out through a women's jealousy. "Why would you need people to see it that badly?" I asked. She only looked at me with a 'duh' face and answered with nothing but a simple "Because It's important!" She stormed. Well at least the heat from Bulky was gone but now I had to deal with an angry babe in front of me! "Calm down we weren't really saying anything bad," Bulky hit. Not physically but his words seemed to hit her just as well as he hits people and makes them bleed. What was this idiotic behaviour?

I was getting tired of their unnatural greeting long since I first set my eyes on the Eskimo beauty. So I did the one thing many girls in books do to get out of a hard situation. I fainted.

_To my surprise I wasn't anywhere near the lower ring where I fainted when I woke up. I was in an almost dying place with the murky water covering the surface of a forest . A forest with trees so high that I could not even see the sky nor the leaves. Yet it was strangely lit up by sunshine . I loved it and hated it there. That gave it a slight hint of originality could have been since the ring was also like this. Maybe that was why it felt so much at home. I felt enslaved as I travelled through the filthy water in that place. It was only a knee deep long and I was used to disgusting conditions but something about this place kept me week in the knees and heavy at the heart. That was when the trees ended that I found the place. A little hill on which the light shone brightest in its potential glory. Something like of a fairy tale. Something like of a dream. And her dream right now would be to get out of the knee high filth and find shelter in that home. She had never ventured up hill since the lower ring ground were flat. She found it breath taking and yet something remarkably sentimental. Like an everyday grant wasted and forgotten. She felt more like that when she reached the little hut. She could practically feel the worn out white paint. She could almost smell what was inside it. Yet she felt more numb, more empty and destroyed than she has in the longest time. Like she has forgotten life altogether. _

_Finally, she made it to the door. She didn't have enough manners to knock. She just wanted to know where she is. How she got here. When the door was creaking band when the air turned heavy, that was when she saw _her. _A pale beauty with white hair. White eyes. White lips. Black dress. She wanted to say so many thing when she saw her ' How did I get here?', 'Where am I?', ' Why are you so pale?', 'am I dreaming?' , '_Who are you?'. _She did nothing but stand there though. Stand and stare at the poor maiden in the back of the room. "C'mon, say it" She finally uttered form those pale lips of hers. Bai Zin looked at her. She opened her mouth and was about to say something yet it was as if her own lips had betrayed her " __Who are you? _But I already know who you are,"


End file.
